The project “Mental Health in School” is part of the German Centre for Mental Health (DZPG) and a cooperation project between the sites Bochum/Marburg/Frankfurt. The project focuses on the implementation of an online platform (Youth Mental Health platform) for children, youth and practitioners to provide easy access to cross-departmental and specific assessments and methods to support mental health specifically in the school context. The main goal is to develop a successful framework to distribute evidence-based interventions to the target groups in preschool, school (and clinical settings). Specific needs within the school/clinical context for youth with mental disorders are identified and provided through a participative process including different councils (Living Environment School & Day Care Council, Youth Council, Affected Person and Relatives Council).

Main goals of the Youth Mental Health platform are:

1. Establishing a network of educational partner institutions, counseling centers (preschools, school networks, psychosocial institutions) and self-help groups as a recruitment base for epidemiological, etiological and controlled translational field studies;
2. Developing a living database (e.g. through interaction with a chatbot) with interdisciplinary and specific assessments and methods;
3. Generating and implementing a monitoring system for educational institutions, out-of-school and clinical settings;
4. Developing a successful framework to distribute evidence-based interventions to the target groups in preschool, school (and clinical settings).